


Evicted

by orphan_account



Category: The Hobbit (Jackson Movies), The Hobbit - All Media Types, The Hobbit - J. R. R. Tolkien
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dwarven Ones | Soulmates, M/M, Unrelated Fíli and Kíli
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-06-30
Updated: 2016-07-13
Packaged: 2018-07-19 04:28:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 12,619
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7344907
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Kili hides the fact that he's been disowned by his parents from Fili. Things become a bit desperate for him, though, when he's evicted from his apartment.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Part One

Kili’s heart stopped beating as he stared at the papers taped to his door. He ripped them off as he stumbled into the small and rundown apartment, panicking as the words “Notice of Petition” stood out in bold, glaring letters.

Shit, shit, _shit_.

His landlord had filed an eviction case against him. _Fuck_. He knew he was a bit behind on the rent, but his landlord had agreed to give him more time. Of course, that was more than a week ago, and this was the third month in a row that it had happened. It also probably didn’t help that he had only _been_ there for three months. But still…

What the fuck was he supposed to do?

He dropped down on the second-hand daybed, his only piece of furniture other than the shaky card table and folding chair that served as his desk.

He was doing all that he could do. He was working two jobs while desperately trying to keep up with his schoolwork, but there were only so many hours in a day. All he had had to do was hold out until January, when he could apply for student loans and get back on his feet. It was December and he was _so close_ , but it looked like his time had run out.

Kili choked on a sob as his eyes blurred with tears. Where was he supposed to go if he were evicted?

His parents had completely cut him off, which is what led to him living in this shithole of an apartment in the first place. He had been too ashamed to tell his friends what had happened, and was honestly a little afraid that they wouldn’t want to help him anyway.

He felt guilty even thinking as much. Fili had been his best friend ever since they had been paired together in that stupid three-legged race during orientation their freshman year, and Legolas, Fili’s elven roommate from freshman year onward, had slowly warmed up to both of them, his girlfriend Tauriel bringing their trio up to a quartet sophomore year.

But he had barely seen them since the beginning of the semester, before he was disowned and forced to move. He had no cell phone anymore, and didn’t share any classes with any of them, so it was hard for them to get in touch with him, and when they did manage to run into him, he was usually running to class or work. They probably just thought he had blown them off for the past few months.

Kili couldn’t hold back the tears as he realized he was going to be homeless in a week or so. All because he had fell in love and hadn’t wanted to hide it from his parents.

A hysterical laugh ripped from his throat as he realized he hadn’t even _seen_ Fili since he had come out to his parents. Not that it mattered. Though they had never really discussed it, he was fairly positive that Fili was straight. Fuck, how pathetic was he? He had thrown his life away with both hands and had absolutely nothing to show for it.

He balled the papers up and threw them across the room before flopping facedown onto his pillow and resolving to not worry about it. It’s not like he could do anything about it. He owed over five hundred dollars on his rent, and he had absolutely no way of getting it before he was evicted. If this was going to be one of his last nights in an actual bed, he was going to at least sleep in it while he could.

 

#

 

“Kili!” a voice called him as he hunched over his textbook in the courtyard about a week later. It was such a nice day, he had decided to catch up on his studying outside. When he spotted Fili rushing over to him, a determined look on his face, he regretted not hiding in the library as he usually did.

“Fili,” he said hesitantly, fidgeting under the intense blue gaze fixed on him. “Hi. It’s been a while.”

He had almost forgotten how handsome the other dwarf was. Losing Fili had probably been the worst part of this entire ordeal, and that was including the fact that he was pretty sure the locks on his apartment would be changed when he got home. He had been expecting that shoe to drop all week, which is why his backpack was stuffed with as many clothes as it could fit.

“Where have you been? You missed the DSA’s pre-finals movie night!” he demanded.

Kili winced at that. He had followed Fili to the Dwarven Student Association freshman year, at first leery of being accepted by his fellow dwarves. Kili had never really been a typical dwarf. He was too lanky, his features to angular, his beard not full enough. To make matters even worse, he had been raised by his adoptive _human_ parents. But he had still gone to the DSA when Fili had asked. And while he always had a good time at the DSA’s get-togethers, he was sure they only accepted him for Fili’s sake.

No one could shun Fili Durin’s best friend after all. The dwarven monarchy may have ended a hundred years ago, but anyone with the Durin name was still treated like royalty.

Why did he have to fall in love with someone he never stood a chance with in a million years?

“I’ve had a lot of studying to do,” Kili mumbled, gesturing a little helplessly at his books scattered over the table. 

“Kili, I’ve been worried about you,” Fili told him earnestly, taking a seat next to him and grabbing his hand. “You’ve hardly been around this semester, and you always look so tired…”

“Sorry, I’ve just been… busy…” he finished lamely. “This semester has been hard. Next semester will be better.”

He had already submitted his applications for student loans and for campus housing. With luck, he would have a crappy dorm room and a meal plan next semester, with absolutely no need to worry about where he was going to sleep or what he was going to eat. It sounded like heaven.

He just had to figure out how to survive until then. It was only about a month. Surely he could survive without a place to live for a month.

“I’ve missed you,” Fili told him softly, squeezing his hand slightly before letting go.

Kili forced himself not to tear up at that. “I’ve missed you, too,” he admitted, feeling guilty that he could ever think that Fili would give up on him just because he hadn’t been around. He wasn’t ready to tell the blond the full story, not when he wasn’t sure how to tell it without his feelings for Fili coming out, but at least he hadn’t lost the other dwarf completely yet. “I promise I’ll be around more next semester.”

Fili didn’t look entirely convinced, but a glance at his watch had him sighing. “Look, I can’t miss my next class, but will you be around for a while?” he asked hopefully.

He shook his head sadly. “I’ve got class,” he lied. In reality, he had work, but he couldn’t tell Fili _that_. It would definitely tip the blond off that he was having money issues, and he’d rather not lie to Fili anymore than he already had.

Because there was no way he could tell him the _truth_. 

Fili’s lips pressed together, but he didn’t let the offer deter him. “Come by the apartment for dinner later. Tauriel is cooking so I promise you won’t be poisoned.”

He worried then inside of his lip. He had the afternoon shift at the toy store he worked in, but he got off at 7:30. Besides, a meal that wasn’t Ramen sounded nice. “I can come around 8?”

“Perfect,” he said, beaming at Kili as he stood. “I’ll see you then.”

Work was as hectic as he expected it to be. It was getting closer to Christmas, and parents were scrambling to buy presents for their kids. The crowd was only made worse by the North Pole set up in the back, with a line of kids eagerly waiting to have their picture taken with Santa. It made Kili thoroughly miserable, despite the fact that Christmas was his favorite time of year.

He figured the thought of sleeping on a park bench on Christmas Eve, though, would put a damper on anyone’s Christmas spirit.

Kili was absolutely exhausted by the time he got off of work, but was still happy to be going to the apartment Fili shared with Legolas instead of his own apartment, if he even still _had_ an apartment.

“Kili!” Tauriel exclaimed in excitement as she opened the door, pulling him into the apartment and giving him a fierce hug. “I’m so glad you came!”

He gave the redheaded elf a small smile as he shrugged off his heavy coat, thicker than what he really needed as a dwarf but his parents had gotten it for him last Christmas, and they had never really been good a judging his different needs as a dwarf.

“Hello, Kili,” Legolas greeted him from where he was setting the table, giving him a warm smile. The blond elf was much more sedate than his fiery girlfriend, but they both had that solemn look in their eyes that came with the long-lives of the elven people. Though considered young among their people, Kili knew they were both in their fifties. Elves tended to keep their children sheltered in their own communities until they reached fifty.

Dwarves were similar. Their children didn’t leave home until their mid-twenties. Fili had been twenty four when he started at Eregion University, and would be turning twenty eight this coming February.

Which meant that Kili, as the only one raised by humans, was the youngest at only twenty one.

Fili grinned at him as he exited the kitchen with a pitcher of water. “Kili! You came!” he cried happily.

Kili flushed with shame as he realized the blond dwarf was so surprised because Kili had been so absent lately. “I said that I would,” he told him, trying to sound upbeat.

There must have been a defensive edge to his voice because Fili winced, but Tauriel was quick to cut in before he could reply. “Well, we’re glad you did. Grab a plate and get some pasta.”

She all but pushed Kili into the kitchen and towards the stove, where the noodles were drained and the sauce had just been taken off the simmer. He took a modest portion to start with, but Fili sidled up next to him and shot him a look. He rolled his eyes but took another scoop of noodles before dousing it all with sauce.

Fili had always thought he didn’t eat enough. It had amused Kili before, and he had dutifully eaten more whenever the blond frowned at his small portions. It hadn’t been a chore to eat until he was truly sated instead of being satisfied with the amount of food he was _supposed_ to have. Unfortunately, he had grown used to it, and now that he had to ration his food more stringently than ever before, he felt the hunger even more keenly because of it.

“So Kili, where have you been all semester?” Tauriel asked curiously, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Last year it was almost as if you lived here with us.”

“You realize that _you_ don’t live here, right?” Fili reminded her with a smirk. Though Tauriel spent most of her nights in the bed she shared with Legolas, she did technically still have a room in the athlete dorms with the rest of the track and field team.

She waved off the words as if they meant nothing. “So?” she prompted.

Kili shrugged, not really knowing what that eager gleam in her eye meant. “I’ve just been really busy with school. I’ve got some big projects I’m working on,” he lied.

Tauriel deflated at that and pouted. “I thought maybe you had found your One and were spending on your time with them.”

Fili glared at her while Legolas gave her a disapproving look. “It’s very rude to ask about a dwarf’s One,” her boyfriend told her with reproach.

“What! We’re friends!” she protested, looking to Kili for support. “Surely we’ve got the right to be a _little_ curious! Right, Kili?”

Kili was suddenly regretting never taking the Dwarven Studies course that Fili and other members of the DSA had taken freshman year for an easy A. He hadn’t wanted his shameful lack of knowledge of his own people to be on his transcript for anyone to see.

“You don’t have to answer that, Kili,” Fili said, coming to his defense immediately.

“I wouldn’t be able to even if I wanted to,” he muttered bitterly as he twirled his fork in his pasta and took a big bite, nearly moaning at the taste as it hit his tongue. He probably wouldn’t have made the admission if his mind hadn’t been so bogged down with other worries.

Legolas blinked at him in confusion as Tauriel frowned. It took Kili a moment to realize that he had never really talked about his family with anyone but Fili.

“What do you mean?” the blond elf asked, cocking his head in puzzlement. 

“I was adopted by humans when I was a baby,” Kili answered, trying to make it sound like it was no big deal. He shoveled more pasta into his mouth as his stomach grumbled at him for more, impatient now that it was actually being properly fed. 

“How did that happen?” Tauriel asked in a scandalized tone. 

He shrugged. “My family were the only Dwarves for hundreds of miles when my parents died in a car accident. There was no one really else to take me in.”

Legolas shook his head with a deep furrow between his brows. “Still, a elven family would have been better than human,” he said darkly.

Kili didn’t respond as he took a large bite of garlic bread. He knew that humans were looked at with suspicious by the other races. Considering that humans outnumbered them three to one and tended to envy the elves and dwarves their long lives, they were probably right to be suspicious. 

Up until a few months ago, he may have defended his parents’ race. He didn’t feel as charitable right then, though, no matter how unfair it might be to project his negative feelings towards his parents onto the entire race of humans.

“I turned out alright,” he mumbled just to say something.

“Of course you did!” Fili agreed quickly. “And if you don’t know something, all you have to do is ask.”

Thankfully, Fili’s glare at Tauriel and Legolas caused the topic to be dropped, and the conversation quickly turned to the general complaining about finals and studying that typically dominated student conversations at this time of the semester. 

Kili let it wash over him as he savored his food, grabbing another piece of garlic bread from the basket in the middle of the table to sop up the sauce on his plate. He poured himself some more water as he tried to ignore the way his stomach somehow felt both hungry for more and a little queasy at the same time.

He was torn between getting more or sitting quietly as he watched his friends finish their own meals, but the decision was taken away from him as Fili grabbed both their plates and disappeared into the kitchen, returning moments later with their plates loaded once more with pasta.

“Thanks,” he said shyly, eating his plate a bit more carefully as his stomach rolled a bit. This might be his last good meal until next semester. He didn’t want to get sick and throw it all up.

“Well, Legolas and I have a group project meeting at 10 so we better get going,” Tauriel announced as she pushed her plate away. “Since Legolas and I did the cooking, I trust you can handle clean-up duty, Fili?”

“You two go ahead,” he said, waving them off and beginning to clear the table. “I’ve got this.”

“I’ll help,” Kili offered, standing up as well. It was the least he could do after they had set him so well.

“Nope,” Fili said brightly, snatching the plate in front of Kili away before he could pick it up. “You’re the guest. You go find us something to watch on Netflix,” he ordered playfully, nodding towards the couch in the living room.

Kili would have protested, but he was honestly too tired. His full belly on top of his hectic day catching up with him as he collapsed on the couch, groaning as he sinked into the cushions.

How was it that Fili and Legolas’ couch was more comfortable than his bed?

He found a mindless comedy that they had both seen a thousand times but still enjoyed and pulled it up, waiting for Fili to be done cleaning before he played it. He had almost dozed off by the time Fili dropped down next to him and gazed at him in concern.

“If you’re tired, you can take my bed and sleep,” he suggested. “I’ll take the couch.”

Kili shook his head, forcing his eyes open and smiling at him. “No, I want to spend time with you,” he told him honestly, even if he was a bit groggy.

Fili smiled and took the remote from him to press play. “Alright then.”

They weren’t half an hour into the movie when Kili finally built up enough nerve to ask what had been on his mind all night. “What’s a One?”

The blond frowned thoughtfully, as if deciding how to phrase his answer. “Dwarves only fall in love once,” he explained after a moment. He gave Kili a smile. “Once we give our hearts away, that’s it. We call the person we give it to our One.”

“Oh,” he said as he processed that. Did that make Fili his One? “What if they’re not the right person though?” he asked in consternation. “What if they’re a different race? Or the same gender? Or what if… they don’t love you back?”

“It doesn’t matter,” Fili replied with a sad shake of his head. “The heart chooses, and that’s it. That’s one of the reasons we dwarves tend to come across as a bit standoffish sometimes around other races. We guard our hearts so that they aren’t given to the wrong people.”

“What if they _are_ given to the wrong person?” he pressed, fearful that he had broken some unspoken dwarven rule by falling for Fili.

“Then we make the best of it,” he answered, a pained look in his eyes behind his smile. “We be whatever our One needs us to be for them.”

“Oh,” Kili said again, feeling like a horrible person. His One obviously needed him to be a friend to him, and he had all but abandoned him for nearly the entire semester.

He desperately wanted to ask Fili if he had found _his_ One yet, but from Legolas’s reprimand of Tauriel earlier, he figured it wasn’t a polite question to ask.

“Why doesn’t anyone talk about them?” he asked instead. He had been going to the DSA for three years and had never heard anyone mention anything about Ones.

Fili shrugged. “It’s a pretty private thing. Besides, if two dwarves are each other’s One, it’s fairly obvious to spot. You’ll rarely see one without the other. And the more traditional ones sometimes where each other’s braids, but not always.”

Kili was relieved to realize that if Fili had a One, he would know about them. And since Fili didn’t spend all his time with any one person, he figured it was a safe bet that he didn’t.

Unless he had gotten one this semester without Kili’s knowledge.

“I feel kinda stupid for not knowing any of this,” he muttered bitterly. Maybe he would have guarded his heart more closely and not lost it so quickly to Fili. Maybe not, though. Fili was pretty amazing. He couldn’t see how everyone he met didn’t fall in love with him.

“It’s not being stupid if no one ever taught you,” Fili said reassuringly, slinging an arm over Kili’s shoulders comfortingly. “And I’m here if you ever want to know anything. No judgment.”

Kili smiled, allowing himself to lean into Fili’s warmth. “Thanks,” he muttered.

They settled back into the couch to finish the movie, Fili’s arm still around his shoulders. Kili didn’t even realize he had fallen asleep until Fili shifting his arm jarred him awake.

“Shh,” the blond murmured, standing up and pulling Kili up as well. The brunet staggered to his feet, still half-asleep as Fili wrapped an arm around his waist and led him to his bedroom. Fili maneuvered him until he was lying on the bed before reaching down and pulling his shoes off.

“I can’t take your bed,” he mumbled uselessly, already mostly asleep once more as Fili pulled the duvet over him.

“Yes, you can,” the blond murmured, brushing back Kili’s hair. He hummed at the touch, trying to lean into it as it was taken away. “Goodnight, âzyungâl.”

He frowned at the unfamiliar word, but sleep drug him back under before he could ask Fili what it meant.

 

#

 

Kili woke up in a panic, sure that he was meant to be somewhere, whether it was at the store or the bowling alley or class. It took him a moment to remember that his class that usually met that morning was an optional review class, and he didn’t have work until that afternoon. He sighed and settled back down onto the bed as his racing heart slowed, only to frown as he realized the bed beneath him was way too comfortable to be his lumpy daybed.

He flushed in shame as he remembered Fili tucking him into his own bed. He hadn’t wanted to put the other dwarf out. He didn’t want to be a bother. That was half the reason why he had kept his parents disowning him a secret.

Well, that, and he didn’t want to admit it was because he had fallen in love with his blond best friend.

He slid out of the bed and quickly slipped on his shoes he spied on the floor. He crept out of the bedroom hesitantly, not really knowing what to say after last night. He didn’t even know why he was making such a big deal out of it. He had stayed the night at Fili’s quite a few times over the past few years. Hell, it wasn’t even the first time the other dwarf had given him his bed.

He didn’t know why it mattered so much _now_ , but it _did_.

Kili frowned as he saw the empty living room before he heard sounds coming from the kitchen. Fili beamed at him when he poked his head through the door, effortlessly flipping a pancake without even looking.

“Sleep well?” he asked cheerfully, acting as if Kili’s staying over were perfectly normal.

Because it _was_ perfectly normal, he told himself harshly. He couldn’t act weird about it. If he did, Fili would know something was wrong.

“Yeah, thanks,” he answered, walking furthering into the kitchen and leaning back against the counter, peering curiously at what Fili was cooking.

A moment later, Fili was thrusting a plate piled high with pancakes, scrambled eggs, and bacon. The blond piled his own plate with food and waved Kili to the dining room. 

“You didn’t have to cook me breakfast,” Kili told him as Fili came to the table with a carton of orange juice and a couple of glasses.

“Someone has to make sure you eat a proper dwarven portion of food,” he retorted playfully. 

He smiled shyly as he poured syrup over his pancakes before tucking in with gusto. “Are you going home for winter break?” he asked.

Fili shrugged. “We haven’t decided yet,” he answered around a mouthful of pancakes. “Uncle Thorin has been talking about maybe us all spending the holidays at his house, so my mom and Uncle Frerin might be coming here instead, along with all my cousins from all over,” he added with a roll of his eyes.

The Durin family was very large, but his Uncle Thorin was the head of the family. Since neither of his uncles had any kids, though, Fili would be inheriting that title at some point. Not that it really _meant_ anything, but it did come with the rather large Durin estate, not that Fili seemed to care about that one way or the other.

“How about you?” the blond questioned.

Kili stuffed his mouth with bacon to buy him time to answer. If he said he wasn’t going home, Fili might invite him around if he ended up not going home as well. With no schoolwork as an excuse, he would have to explain that he had to work. Which would mean he would have to explain why he had gotten a job and why he had kept it a secret from him.

He couldn’t do that.

“I don’t know yet,” he said, figuring a half-lie was better than a full lie. 

Fili frowned at that but didn’t question it. “Well, if you do stick around, you know you’re welcome to join us for Christmas and New Years.”

Kili had been surprised at first to learn that Fili and his family celebrated Christmas. Fili had laughed when he told him as much freshman year, stating that dwarves celebrated for the sake of celebrating, even if it was a predominantly human holiday.

To be honest, the thought of curling up with Fili next to a Christmas tree and a roaring fire sounded like a dream to him, but he was pretty sure it’d only break his heart more to spend the holiday with the blond as just as friend.

“Thanks, I’ll keep that in mind,” he mumbled into his eggs, even if he had absolutely no intention of following through.

“Are you ready for finals next week?” Fili asked, changing the subject.

“Um, kinda?” he replied uncertainly with a sheepish smile. He wasn’t nearly as prepared as he wanted to be, but he had saved up some of his easier classes for his senior year so that he could cut lose a bit. He had never thought he would be so grateful for that for an entirely different reason.

The blond laughed. “Yeah, I get that,” he said with an unrepentant grin. “I haven’t been as dedicated to studying lately as I should have been.”

Kili wanted to ask what had made the normally responsible Fili neglect his studies, but he didn’t want the question turned around on him. Especially since he had been using his schoolwork as an excuse for his absence all semester.

“What time is it?” he asked instead, not sure how long he had let himself sleep. It had been the first good night’s rest he had gotten in a while.

“Almost noon,” Fili answered with a shrug. “Guess we both had some sleep to catch up on.”

Kili winced at that. His shift at the bowling alley started at one. He quickly shoveled his food into his mouth. “I’ve got to go,” he explained at Fili’s curious look. “Got a school thing at one.”

He finished off his food quickly before standing. “Thanks for everything,” he told him earnestly.

Fili rolled his eyes. “You don’t have to thank me, Kee. It’s nothing.”

Kili didn’t tell him that it most certainly was _nothing_ , not when he actually _had_ nothing and knew exactly what it entailed. With that depressing thought, he grabbed his bag and all but ran from the apartment. His own place was on the way, so he ran up the rusty stairs to the third floor with plans to change clothes. He nearly cried when he stuck his key in the lock and it wouldn’t turn.

His landlord had finally changed the locks.

He was officially homeless.

Kili resolutely swallowed back his tears. He shouldn’t be upset. He knew this was coming. It had been coming for a while. It was fine. He’d be fine. It was only a few weeks. He could do this.

He marched down the stairs and towards the bowling alley. The next week would be easy. It was finals week, which meant the library was open 24 hours a day. Finding a student sleeping with his head pillowed on his textbooks was far from out of the ordinary. And there were showers in the rec center that he could use.

He would be _fine_.

“Kili?” his manager called out to him as soon as he walked into the bowling alley, an apologetic look on his face. His heart sank. He knew what that look meant.

It was probably for the best, he told himself as his manager explained that business over winter break would die down so that only the full time employees were being kept on. He was assured that he’d have a job waiting for him if he wanted to start back once school started up again.

This way, he wouldn’t have to worry about anyone figuring out he had nowhere to go. He was sure he was going to lose his job at the toy store after the Christmas rush died down. But with the paycheck his manager just handed him and the money he’d make in the next two weeks from the store, he’d have about three hundred dollars to his name.

He blanched as he realized that meant less than ten bucks for his food budget every day, but he’d make it work.

He would be _fine_.

 

#

 

Kili wasn’t sure if he believed he would be fine anymore. He had made it through finals week okay, managing to dodge everyone he knew by hiding in dark, seldom used corner of the stacks in the library, leaving only to go to his job at the toy store, which his boss had already told him would end on Christmas Eve next week.

He had been so busy with work and studying and trying to hide the fact that he was sleeping in the library, that he hadn’t even considered what would happen now that finals had ended.

The library closed at five the last day of finals, and Kili knew that it would close at five every weekday that school was out of session, and it wouldn’t even be open on the weekends.

Which meant he had absolutely nowhere to go.

He walked aimlessly around the mostly deserted campus. It was getting darker and colder by the minute, and he was sure the temperature would probably dip below freezing that night. Could he even _survive_ sleeping outside when it was that cold?

“Kili!” a loud voice called out to him from across the quad. He looked up to see two dwarves from the DSA, Bofur and Nori, stumbling his way, clearly more than a little tipsy. 

“Why aren’t you celebrating?” Bofur slurred out, grinning at the younger dwarf. “Finals are over! It is time to drink and be merry!”

He forced a smile. “I think you’re merry enough for the both of us,” he told him.

Nori snorted, obviously a bit more sober than his companion. “That is an understatement. Care to join us, lad?” he asked. “We’re headed to the DSA. Some of us are having an informal get-together of sorts.”

“Lots of food and booze!” Bofur declared. “You should definitely join us!”

“Is Fili going to be there?” he asked before he could stop himself. He nearly kicked himself at the question. Could he be more obvious?

Nori smirked at him. “He had a family dinner he had to go to. I’m surprised you aren’t with him, actually.”

Before Kili could ask why he would be at Fili’s family dinner, Bofur was grabbing his arm and leading him towards the DSA. “‘Sides, you’ve left Fili alone with us all semester. ’S about time you spent some time with us on your lonesome too.”

Despite his misgivings, he let Bofur and Nori lead him to the DSA, a bit surprised by the warm welcome he received when he got there. It was a party like only dwarves could throw. Rowdy but homey, with plenty of food and drink to go around. And since it was in full-swing when they arrived, he was able to slip away with a plate of food to a comfy armchair in a corner.

He quickly wolfed down the food before letting his exhaustion from the past week catch up with him. No one would blame him for falling asleep. They may tease him later for being a lightweight, assuming he had passed out from too much alcohol, but they would leave him be.

With that in mind, he curled up in the warmth of the DSA, surrounded by dwarves celebrating the end of finals, and fell fast asleep.

He was prodded awake early the next morning and greeted by the apologetic face of Bombur, but DSA faculty advisor. “Sorry, Kili, but I’ve got to lock up the building for the break.”

He blinked up blearily at him but nodded, covering a yawn as he stood. “Thanks for letting me sleep as long as you did, Bombur.”

The rotund dwarf snorted. “It’s not like you were the only one. At least you woke up nicer than the other drunken fools.”

Kili smiled and grabbed his bag, giving him a half-hearted wave as he left.

He had an all-day shift at the store he had to get to anyway.

It was dark when he got off, and the hopelessness of his situation suddenly hit him like a freight train.

It was freezing outside, he was exhausted, and he had absolutely nowhere to go. Mahal, there was a good chance he was going to die that night. And if not that night, then a night in the near future.

He considered the hundred bucks he had currently tucked into his backpack. It’d probably buy him a night or two in a crappy motel room, but then he’d have no money for food in the upcoming weeks. Were his choices really freeze to death or starve to death?

A dark thought entered his head, reminding him that there were _other_ ways to make money fast if he were desperate.

He froze in horror. How could that even cross his mind? He couldn’t… do _that_. He shuddered in revolution at the very thought.

Kili worried his bottom lip as he continued walking. His first night actually on the street and that was the first idea that popped into his head. That probably wasn’t a good sign. What would he be willing to do after a _week_ of being homeless with no place to go?

He was being stupid. He knew that. Was his fear of rejection by Fili really so insurmountable that he would rather live on the street than crash on his One’s couch? Fili probably wouldn’t even question him if Kili refused to talk about it.

Feeling a bit more hopeful, Kili walked to Fili’s apartment, wrapping his heavy coat around him in an attempt to stay warm. To his utter dismay, there didn’t appear to be any lights on in the apartment Fili shared with Legolas. His heart sank completely when, after a full two minutes of knocking, no one came to the door.

He sank down on Fili’s stoop with a sob, curling into a ball against the doorjamb and huddling into his coat.

Of course, Fili wasn’t home. Nori had told him that Fili was with his family last night. Even the other dwarf had stayed in town, he would be staying at his uncle’s house. Kili had no idea where Thorin Durin lived, and wouldn’t _dare_ go to the house even if he did.

He had to get up. He had to _move_. With as cold as it was, if he fell asleep, he didn’t think he’d wake up. It would be a horrible sight for Fili to come home to, Kili dead in front of his door. He didn’t want his One to see that.

Maybe he was just being melodramatic. He shivered as he hunched further into his coat. Surely he’d be fine if he just closed his eyes for a little bit?

It really didn’t matter what he wanted. In the end, he couldn’t have kept his eyes open even if he wanted to.

tbc...


	2. Chapter 2

A loud clanking sound jerked him from his sleep sometime later. Kili frowned at the pale dawn light. He had slept through the night. He shivered, but made himself stand. He groaned as he uncurled from his balled up position, his stiff limbs protesting the movement. Each breath he took made his scratchy throat ache. He felt as if he were half frozen as he stood on shaky legs, stumbling as he took his first few steps.

Sleeping outside in the cold had been a mistake, he knew, sniffling as he stumbled forward. Though it hadn’t been one he had willingly made, he cursed himself all the same.

He wished he knew what time it was. Not that it mattered. He had nowhere to go today. His next shift at the toy story wasn’t until tomorrow morning. 

Kili knew he had to come up with a plan today. He had about four weeks until he’d be able to move into the dorms for the spring semester.

That is, _if_ his housing application was accepted.

He shook the thought away. He had enough problems to worry about at the moment. There was no point in worrying about other problems that _might_ happen. Besides, he’d just take out more loans if that happened. Sure, it meant a bigger debt to pay back after he graduated, but it would just be one semester.

But that was a problem for tomorrow. Today, he had to figure out where he was supposed to spend tonight.

His stomach grumbled, aching for food, but Kili ignored it. He had to conserve his money. The hundred he had in his duffle would have to last until he got paid on Friday, and then whatever money he earned had to last over the next four weeks. Ten bucks a day, that’s all he could spend, just like he had figured before.

It was easier to do if he skipped breakfast.

Without anywhere else to go and wanting to get out of the cold, he ended up wandering over to the branch of the public library closest to the university. Unfortunately, it didn’t open until nine. He peered through the glass doors, able to catch a glimpse of the large clock in the lobby that said it was barely past seven.

Kili sighed as he turned and walked away. His body ached from hours of sleeping against Fili’s door. All he wanted to do was to sit in a warm room. Well, _lying_ in a warm room, on a warm bed, after eating a warm meal, would be nice, but he wasn’t greedy.

This early on a Sunday morning, the streets were practically deserted. Kili felt like an idiot as he plodded down the streets, not knowing where to go. Why had it taken him so long to let go of his pride and try to ask Fili for help? Mahal, he could have asked _anyone_ for help the day before yesterday. Fili, Legolas, Tauriel. Hell, he could have asked Bofur or Nori when he had seen them. Or Bombur yesterday morning. Or _anyone_ at the DSA.

Sure, they may have thought he was pathetic, but they would have helped. He wouldn’t be wandering the streets homeless.

Kili blinked back tears. Mahal, he was _homeless_. 

This wasn’t supposed to happen. Why had he let it slip to his parents that he was in love with another boy? It was so _stupid_. When he had referred to the person he loved as “him” and saw their sharp looks, he should have backtracked, pretended he misspoke. Instead, he decided to _explain._ Tried to tell them how great Fili was, how he couldn’t imagine ever feeling as strongly about anyone else.

Maybe if he had known more about his own people, he could have explained that Fili was his One. Not that his parents would have accepted that, but maybe…

He shook the thought away. They would have done the same thing. They would have told him to get out and never come back. His parents had never cared much about his dwarven heritage, preferring to ignore it rather than acknowledge it. 

It was probably why his body had never filled out like a typical dwarf. From Fili’s horror at how little he had eaten freshman year, Kili knew that dwarves ate nearly twice as much as humans did. He had never really considered it before, but eating human-sized portions growing up probably meant he grew up slightly malnourished.

He furrowed his brow at that. Did that mean his parents had been bad parents all his life? Sure, the whole kicking him out thing was bad, but he had always thought they were pretty decent. He may not have always had as much food as he wanted, but he always _had_ food. And they had paid for his living expenses while he was at college. Well, at least they _had_ until this year. Anything he had needed, they had bought. They had even supported him going to Eregion over University of Gondor or Rohan College, though it was grudgingly done.

They weren’t perfect parents, he decided, but they were never intentionally cruel. They just had an idea of who and what Kili was supposed to be. The problem, though, was that Kili _wasn’t_ who and what they wanted him to be.

He pushed thoughts of his parents away. He couldn’t dwell on them now. He had to figure out what he was going to do now.

Tears finally spilled from his eyes as he realized he didn’t _know_ what to do now. Somehow, before, the idea that he _could_ go to Fili if he needed to had kept him the weight of his situation from crushing him entirely. Now, he had no one.

He furiously wiped the tears away. This was his fault. There was no use crying about it. If he hadn’t been so stubborn about not telling anybody, then he wouldn’t be all alone right now. Crying wouldn’t fix anything.

The first thing he needed to do was find a bathroom to change in. He had been wearing the same clothes for two days straight. He still had one pair of clean clothes in his bag. He could _really_ use a shower, but he didn’t really know how he was going to swing that one. The rec center on campus, where he had been showering, was closed until next semester. If he didn’t smell bad now, he definitely would in a day or two.

He wondered how rank he would have to smell before he got fired from the toy store.

He stumbled on a bit of uneven pavement. Mercifully, he managed to stay upright, but still tilted sideways and had to throw a hand out to catch himself on the brick wall of the building next to the sidewalk.

The world spun around him, and he squeezed his eyes shut, trying to will the world to right itself. He felt super weak all of a sudden, and he tried to remember the last time he had eaten anything. He blanched as he realized he hadn’t eaten since the DSA party.

He pushed away from the wall when he felt strong enough to walk some more. He had to sit down. At least for a little while. Maybe if he sat on a bench at the next bus stop, he could pass it off as just waiting for a bus.

Thankfully, the nearest bus stop was just around the corner, and Kili all but collapsed on the bench. It was even a bit warmer on the bench because of the enclosement around it. He let his head fall sideways to rest on the plexiglass of the enclosement, the cold surface feeling oddly nice against his flushed skin.

He’d go back to the library once he rested a bit. He had been walking for at least half an hour. If he rested for about an hour, it’d probably be open when he got back.

He would send an e-mail to Fili using one of the library’s computers, Kili decided. Without a phone, it was the only way he had to get in touch Fili. He would keep it casual, just asking whether he had stayed around town or not. If he hadn’t, Kili didn’t want to make Fili feel guilty for not being here for him. If he _was_ around, though, maybe he’d be willing to let Kili crash at his place, even if he were spending the break at his uncle’s house.

It was harder than he thought it would be, keeping track of the time. The time between buses seemed to stretch on _forever_ , but he knew that they were on intervals of either ten or fifteen minutes. Time never dragged on so slowly before. He wished he could go back to sleep, but he wasn’t really sure if he was allowed to sleep here. Not to mention, he wasn’t really sure it was _safe_ to sleep out in the open.

Kili waited until at least seven buses had gone by before he forced himself to stand and begin trudging back towards the library. To his utmost relief, the door was unlocked when he got there, the clock in the lobby telling him in was almost a quarter past nine.

The girl at the information desk eyed him suspiciously, and Kili flushed as he realized how unkempt he must look. He made a beeline for the bathroom, grateful to find that it was a one-stall. 

He used the toilet before stripping out of his dirty clothes. He wet a few paper towels and wiped his body down, knowing it wasn’t a very thorough washing, but it was the best he could do. He dressed quickly, using as much deodorant as he dared. He frowned at his dirty coat. There wasn’t much he could do about it, but he didn’t need it while inside so he just slung it over his duffle strap.

His hairbrush had been sacrificed in order to make room in his duffle for his other toiletries, but he managed to finger comb his hair enough to that he could pull it back into a greasy bun. 

After brushing his teeth, he finally exited the bathroom, feeling a bit more normal as he made his way to the computer lab.

Kili bit his lip, though, when he pulled up his e-mail and opened up a new message to Fili. Taking a deep breath and reminding himself to be chipper, he began typing.

_Hey Fili!_

He stared at the greeting in dissatisfaction. It looked odd and out of place to him, but anything else sounded too formal. He debated internally whether “hey” was better than “hi,” but he decided that it didn’t really matter.

_I missed you at the DSA’s end of finals party and didn’t get to see you before break!_

That was a good excuse to be sending the e-mail, right? He was just writing out of curiosity.

_I don’t have a phone right now, so I figured I would shoot you an e-mail to see if you ended up staying in town or not?_

Fili might frown at him not having a phone, but Kili figured he had glossed over it enough so that his focus would be on his question.

_I’ll be in town for break and just wanted to see if you wanted to meet up at some point :)_

That sounded innocuous enough. He was just a friend asking another friend if they were around to hang out with. Nothing that could make Fili worry if he were in Ered Luin with his family and couldn’t help Kili.

_Cheers,_

_Kili_

He sent the message before he could second-guess himself any further.

Deciding he couldn’t just stare at his inbox waiting for a reply, he opened another window and killed some time suffering the web, switching over to check his mail every few minutes.

His heart pounded loudly in his chest as he switched over about half an hour later and saw Fili had replied. He clicked on the message with bated breath. If Fili wasn’t in town, he really didn’t know what he would do.

_Kili! I’m so glad you e-mailed! Yes, I stayed in town, and my family is already driving me a little nuts! Are you free for lunch?_

Unbelievable relief flooded him. Fili was here. Fili would help him. All he had to do was ask.

Panic quickly replaced the relief at that. Kili hadn’t thought past figuring out if Fili was in town. Yeah, he had planned on asking for help, but _how_ was he supposed to do that? Was he supposed to just meet Fili for lunch and blurt out that he was homeless and needed help?

Maybe he should just e-mail Fili back and tell him that way? That would be easier. But was it fair to admit that he had lied to Fili for an entire semester in an e-mail? Besides, what would he write? It wasn’t any easier figuring out the words to type than it was to figure out the words to _say_.

He bit his lip and sent a reply before he could lose his nerve.

_Lunch sounds great! 11:30 at Dori’s?_

Dori’s Diner was a staple of the dwarven student community. During the school year, especially during finals and midterms, it was packed with dwarves. However, it was sure to be mostly deserted right now.

And if Kili was going to admit how low he had sunken to Fili, he really didn’t want a lot of people around to witness it.

Fili’s answer came minutes later.

_Sounds great! See you then!_

It was about an hour before he was supposed to meet Fili, and the diner was only about a ten minute walk, which meant he had a bit of time to kill. He thought about just hanging around the library until then, but the librarian at the desk kept eyeing him in suspicion. He stayed for about fifteen minutes more before deciding to get to the diner early.

When he got there, he saw that he was right. The diner was practically empty. He slid into a booth in the back with a clear view of the door. The clock on the wall told him he was over half an hour early.

“Kili!” Nori greeted him, appearing from the kitchen and coming over to his booth. The brunet cringed. He had forgotten that Nori was Dori’s younger brother and helped him out at the diner sometimes. The redheaded dwarf gave him a shrewd look and frowned. “Are you alright?”

He flushed in shame and didn’t meet the older dwarf’s eyes. “I’m fine,” he muttered, words completely undermined by the sneeze he couldn’t keep in.

“If you say so,” Nori said in obvious disbelief. “What can I get you?”

“Just water,” Kili answered. When Nori’s eyes narrowed at that, he quickly added, “I’m waiting for Fili.”

That seemed to satisfy him as he nodded and left, returning a few minutes later with his water before bringing a plate piled high with pancakes and bacon to the only other dwarf in the diner.

The smell of the food caused Kili’s stomach to rumble loudly, and he hunched over as the empty pain of his stomach momentarily overwhelmed him. He straightened as two plates were suddenly placed in front of him, one with a stack of pancakes and one teaming with bacon and eggs.

He looked up in surprise to see Nori looming over him with a knowing glower. “Eat,” he told him, pointing at the food imperiously. 

“I didn’t order this,” Kili protested meekly but picked up a fork anyway.

“I saw things were bad with you Friday night, but you managed to sneak away before I could stop you,” Nori replied, raising a braided eyebrow as he glanced at Kili critically. “From the looks of it, you haven’t eaten or had a decent night’s sleep since. So you’re gonna eat now. Don’t worry. It’s on the house.”

Tears pricked at his eyes, but he swallowed them back. “Thank you,” he mumbled, taking a bite of his eggs.

Nori pursed his lips. “Don’t thank me,” he said with an angry shake of his head. “You’re younger than Ori and practically still a child.” Ori, Kili knew, was Dori and Nori’s younger brother. It was hard to not take the child remark personally, but he knew it wasn’t meant to be an offense. “You shouldn’t on your own and starving on the streets.”

Kili flushed again, swallowing the bacon in his mouth before asking quietly, “How did you know?”

“Let’s just say personal experience and leave it at that,” Nori said with a shrug. “You planning on telling Fili?”

He furrowed his brow. “How did you know Fili doesn’t know yet?”

That elicited an eye roll and a snort. “Like Fili would let you spend one minute hungry if he could help it. So?”

Kili sighed but nodded.

“Good,” he said. “Now eat up.”

With that, he walked away to take the orders of a couple of dwarves that had just walked in.

Kili forced himself to eat the food in front of him slowly and methodically, knowing if he ate it too fast, he’d end up sick. Still, he had the plates cleaned within fifteen minutes. 

Nori smirked at him as he took them away. “Want more?” he asked.

He bit his lip. If he were truthful, he was still hungry, but he couldn’t take advantage of the other dwarf’s generosity like that. “Maybe when Fili gets here,” he said instead, afraid Nori would see right through the lie if he said he didn’t want anything else.

The redhead frowned but left him alone after that, with Fili walking in not ten minutes later.

The blond’s face lit up as he spotted Kili. “Kili!” he cried happily, hurrying over to him and hauling him up to wrap him in a hug. Kili forced himself not to collapse into the other dwarf’s arms. Fili was frowning, though, as he pulled back. “I’m glad you e-mailed me,” he said seriously, letting him sit back down and sliding into the bench opposite him.

Before Kili could try to figure out how to begin, Nori was back, dropping a pair of menus in front of them.

Fili smiled up at the other dwarf, but handed the menus back. “We don’t need these, Nori. Just get us a couple of burgers and fries, no tomatoes on Kili’s, with a cherry coke for me and a strawberry milkshake for Kili.”

Nori grinned. “Comin’ right up!”

Kili didn’t protest Fili ordering for him, even though he personally wouldn’t have ordered the milkshake. Strawberry milkshakes were his favorite, but he didn’t really have the money to spend on something so frivolous, and even knowing he probably wouldn’t be paying for it, he still felt bad for letting someone else pay for something he didn’t need.

“So what made you stay in town?” Fili asked once Nori walked away, giving Kili just the opening he needed.

“My parents kicked me out,” he admitted. Fili stilled as his blue eyes widened, but Kili continued, figuring it was easier to get it all out of the way at once. “About three weeks into the semester, when I went home for that long weekend we had for Durin’s Day,” he went on. The sad part was that he remembered Fili begging him to stay that weekend, claiming that the celebration at his uncle’s house was going to be unforgettable, but his parents had told him in no uncertain terms that he was to come home.

“Kili…” Fili said in a pained voice. “Why didn’t you _tell_ me?”

“I was stupid,” he replied, shaking his head in self-deprecation, not able to tell him a more detailed answer. Besides, he _was_ stupid. “I couldn’t afford the apartment I was in so I moved into a cheaper one. But I couldn’t afford that one either so I got evicted a little over a week ago.”

Fili’s breath hitched before he was suddenly standing and moving to sit next to Kili. He didn’t even realize he had been shaking until Fili wrapped a warm arm around him. Kili turned into the hold, wrapping both arms around Fili’s waist and burying his face in his chest as he finally lost the battle with his tears that he had been fighting all morning. Fili’s other hand came up to rub his back soothingly.

“Where have you been staying?” Fili asked after a moment of just holding him.

“The library during finals week,” he answered weakly. “The DSA Friday night.”

“And last night?” he prompted in a hesitant voice, as if he knew the answer wouldn’t be one he liked.

“I fell asleep outside before I could figure out where to go,” Kili confessed finally, not wanting to tell Fili it was on his doorstep because he didn’t want him to feel guilty for not being home.

“ _Mahal_ , Kili,” Fili breathed in horror. “It dropped below freezing last night!”

“Yeah, I don’t want to do that again,” he muttered, remembering his aching limbs and how difficult it was to walk afterwards. 

“You will never _have_ do that again,” Fili vowed, tightening his arms around him.

Kili sagged into Fili’s embrace, feeling drained now that he finally felt safe and secure.

 

#

 

Fili took him back to his apartment after they had eaten their burgers, with Kili not even protesting when Fili paid for both of them.

Kili was pressed firmly onto the sofa before Fili disappeared into his room, returning a moment later with a pair of flannel pants and a sweatshirt. He gave the clothes to Kili before leading him towards the bathroom.

“You’ll feel better after a hot shower,” Fili assured him. “Towels and washcloths are hanging on the rack. Help yourself to whatever you want.”

He smiled and nodded, overwhelming gratitude rendering him speechless. He had to admit that the hot water hitting his body felt like heaven, and Fili’s shampoo was much nicer than the cheap soap he had been using to wash his hair. He tried to be as quick as he could, but it was longer than strictly necessary before he was able to pry himself away from the warm spray.

Kili dried off quickly, tugging on Fili’s pants, which were a hair too short, and pulling on the sweatshirt, which was a bit too baggy. But they were warm and comfy and, best of all, smelled like Fili.

Fili was waiting for him on the couch in the living room, grinning at him as he emerged from the hallway. “Come sit down,” the blond said, patting the cushions next to him.

Kili sunk down onto the couch with a contented sigh, smiling up a Fili shyly when the other dwarf wrapped him in a warm blanket. “Thank you,” he murmured, his cheeks feeling overly warm. “For everything.”

“You don’t have to thank me, Kili,” Fili said sincerely, wrapping an arm around him. “I’m always here for you. Whatever you need.”

He wasn’t strong enough to resist leaning into Fili’s side. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Yeah, me too,” the blond told him with a heavy sigh. “I wish I had known you were suffering. I would have helped you sooner. You know I would have.”

“I know,” Kili mumbled, staring down at the carpet. “I guess I was a little ashamed.”

“You never have to feel ashamed with me,” Fili told him earnestly, pulling back so that he could look him in the eye. “Never, Kili. I promise.”

He gave him a weak smile. He wasn’t sure if he believed him, but he knew Fili meant it. And as long as Kili didn’t blurt out his feelings for the other dwarf, he was sure Fili could keep it. He opened his mouth to thank Fili once more, but his words were cut off by an irrepressible yawn.

“You should take a nap,” Fili said with a frown, standing and hauling him up with him. “Take the bed. I’ll have us a nice supper ready when you wake up.”

“I hope you’re not cooking it,” he teased as he let Fili lead him into the bedroom.

“One time I burn a bit of bacon, and I never live it down,” the blond replied in a long-suffering voice, looking at Kili with fond eyes as he pulled the heavy blanket over the brunet. Kili felt a bit childish being tucked into bed, but pleasure fluttered in his stomach at the tenderness of the gesture.

His heart skipped a beat when Fili brushed a kiss to his forehead. “Sleep well, âzyungâl.”

Fili was gone before he could ask what the word meant. Kili didn’t call after him though, half-afraid to learn that it was a term of endearment for a friend. Or worse, a _brother_. He would rather not have proof that Fili didn’t love Kili like Kili loved him. He wasn’t sure his heart could take it.

Instead, he decided to just be grateful for the soft bed, the warm blankets, and the smell of Fili surrounding him.

 

#

 

He couldn’t say how long he slept, but the sun had set by the time he woke. Kili frowned at that. It would be hard to sleep that night after sleeping so late. Which was not great, because he had an early shift at the store in the morning. At least he had a place _to_ sleep though, so he wasn’t going to complain.

“So I cheated,” Fili declared boldly when Kili joined him in the living room. The blond smirked at him as he disappeared into the kitchen and returned with two large pizza boxes. “I ordered pizza instead of cooking. In my defense, though, I did do laundry so I’m not _completely_ useless at domestic things.”

Kili chuckled, flipping open the top of a pizza box as Fili went to get plates and sodas. “Thanks,” he said, taking a plate and grabbing a couple of slices. Thankfully, the tickle at the back of his throat had died down enough for him to enjoy the food. He frowned as he took a bite though. “Your family isn’t expecting you back, are they? I don’t want to keep you from them…”

“Trust me, you’re doing me a favor keeping me from them,” Fili quipped as he sank down on the sofa next to him and grabbed a slice of his own. “My uncle’s house may be big, but it was getting a bit crowded.”

“Still, don’t feel like you have to spend your whole break with me,” Kili told him firmly. “I’m grateful just for a place to sleep.”

“Well, it’s not like it’s a chore to spend time with you,” Fili replied, nudging him with his elbow. “Besides, I talked to my mom and she has insisted I bring you over for dinner tomorrow.”

His eyes widened. The idea of meeting Fili’s family both excited and terrified him. “I have to work,” he said, dreading the double shift he had picked up yesterday, but glad he’d have somewhere to come home to.

Fili’s brow furrowed in confusion. “Work? Work where?”

“The toy store off Longbottom Trail,” he answered. “I’m working from eight in the morning to ten at night tomorrow.”

“Kili, that’s fourteen hours!” he protested. “You’ll be dead on your feet!”

He shrugged. “I volunteered for it.” He didn’t say he volunteered for it so that he at least had some place to be. 

“I really don’t like the idea of you working for fourteen hours after this weekend,” Fili told him with a sigh. “You’ll make yourself sick. Well,” he added unhappily. “Sicker.”

“I’m not sick,” he pouted, even though he was probably _a little_ sick.

“Yeah, you are,” he said, frowning down at the pizza. “I should’ve gotten you soup.”

“I like the pizza better,” Kili replied stubbornly, taking a large bite of pizza and giving Fili a large smile as he chewed and swallowed. “And maybe I’m not exactly 100 percent, but I can’t miss work tomorrow. I’d be fired for sure.”

“Then quit!” Fili argued. “You don’t need to work, especially if it’s going to make you sick. You don’t have to worry about money or anything anymore! I’m going to take care of you, I promise.”

“I can’t ask you to do that…”

“You’re not! I’m offering,” he told him. “Whatever you need. It’s yours.”

Kili’s heart ached at that, knowing Fili didn’t mean them in the way he desperately wished he would. “I don’t know…”

“Kili, it’s not like I can’t afford it,” Fili said in exasperation. “I don’t know if you’re realized it or not, but my family’s pretty loaded.”

He snorted at that. “Pretty loaded” was an understatement when it came to the Durin family’s wealth. “Fili…”

“Kili, please, let me do this for you,” he begged. “Let me be the family you _should_ have had.”

His eyes teared up at that and he looked away. He hoped Fili took it to mean he was overwhelmed by the offer. In reality, he was devastated at Fili wanting to be his _family_.

Family didn’t feel the way he did for Fili.

“Okay,” he managed to choke out, feeling too drained to argue further.

The smile Fili gave him was worth it, though.

 

#

 

Fili took Kili to his uncle’s house the next day, and to say that Kili was terrified was probably an understatement. These were the _Durins_. Fili’s great-grandfather had been _king_ before he had stepped aside and allowed an elected council to take governance of the dwarven people.

Kili was just a nobody from Lossarnach, raised by Gondorian humans to know nothing about his own people.

He didn’t belong here.

Still, Fili’s family greeted him with open arms, though that was the dwarven way, he had discovered as soon as he came to Eregion. Dwarves may seem like stone to other races, but they were exceedingly warm and welcoming when it came to their own.

Even as friendly as everyone was being, though, Kili was glad that Fili stuck by his side through it all.

Of course, then his mother had sent him off alone to see about one of his younger cousins, and suddenly Kili was surrounded.

Well, surrounded was probably a bit dramatic, considering there were just three of them, but they were three of the most intimidating dwarves Kili had ever met, so he was pretty sure it counted.

“My son has told us so much about you, Kili,” Fili’s mother, who had insisted he call her Dis, told him as she settled onto the couch next to him and looped her arm through his with a smile, her bright blue eyes, so like Fili’s, indecipherable.

“It was very annoying right after you first met,” his Uncle Frerin chimed in with a sly smirk and a wink as he leant against the wall next to Kili. “He wouldn’t shut up about you.”

He flushed slightly, pleased at least to know that Fili held him in high enough regard to speak about him with his family even if Kili wasn’t his One. “He’s been a very good friend to me,” Kili told them. “He’s the best dwarf I’ve ever met.”

Thorin Durin snorted from the armchair adjacent to the sofa. “He’s young and foolish, but he has a good heart,” he said, voice deep and serious as he gave Kili a meaningful look.

They thought he was taking advantage of Fili’s kind, he realized in horror. He had to convince them that he wasn’t, even if it sometimes _felt_ like he was.

“I’m very grateful to have him as a friend,” he told them earnestly. “I know I don’t deserve him or half the things he’s done for me, but he’s stubborn and very hard to say no to.”

Dis chuckled at that. “It’s a Durin trait, I’m afraid,” she replied, patting his hand sympathetically. “But I don’t believe for a second that you don’t deserve him. I’m glad he found you.”

Kili smiled fondly as Fili walked back into the room. “Me too.”

The blond frowned at his mother and uncles though. “Why are you ganging up on Kili?” he demanded to know.

Frerin just rolled his eyes. “We’re not ganging up on him. We’re just getting to know our newest family member.”

Fili’s glower intensified as Kili’s eyes pricked with tears at the acceptance of the older Durins. He swallowed and looked down, a little overwhelmed if he were honest. 

“Come on, Kili, let’s go find some alcohol,” Fili told him, pulling him off the sofa and away from his mother and into the kitchen. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to leave you alone,” he said as soon as they were away, turning around to wrap Kili in his arms. “Whatever they said to upset you, I’m sure they didn’t mean it.”

Kili shook his head, blinking away his tears. “They didn’t upset me,” he assured him, giving him a watery smile. “It’s just… they barely know me and called me family.”

“Because you’re _my_ family,” Fili stated firmly, pressing his forehead against Kili’s. “No matter what. You’ve got me. And with me comes my crazy family so I feel like I should apologize.”

“Don’t,” he replied, relishing Fili’s closeness. If this was all he ever got, he’d be satisfied. “I just…”

“I know,” the blond said as he trailed off, pulling him close again. Kili melted in his embrace, wishing it meant as much to Fili as it did to him. “Do you want to go home?”

He sniffled but shook his head. “You should spend more time with your family.”

“I think we’ve spent enough time with our family for tonight,” Fili shot back. He pulled away from Kili with a soft smile and brushed back a lock of dark hair that had fallen into his face. “Let’s go home, âzyungâl.”

He nodded. They bid Fili’s mother and uncles goodnight, Kili giving them a shy smile. He had been afraid they would be disappointed they were leaving early, but the weird smiles they were giving him told Kili that they were find with it.

Kili built up his courage on the way home, and finally asked what had been on his mind for a while. “What does âzyungâl mean?”

Even though he had already accepted that Fili saw him at best as a brother, he still held his breath as Fili froze halfway through removing his coat before sighing. He took off the coat and led Kili to the couch.

“I should have told you the truth a long time ago,” Fili said with a rueful shake of his head. “You’re so young, though, and I hoped… well, that doesn’t matter. It doesn’t excuse me not telling you.”

“Telling me what?” Kili asked in trepidation.

“Âzyungâl means love of loves,” Fili confessed, not meeting his eyes. Kili’s breath hitched in his throat as hope blossomed in his heart. “I shouldn’t have used the fact that you didn’t know Khuzdul like that, but it felt good to let you know how I felt. Even if you didn’t understand.”

“I still don’t understand,” he whispered, heart thumping loudly in his chest. “Do you mean…?” He didn’t dare finish the question. He couldn’t bare the thought of being wrong.

“I mean you’re my One,” Fili answered anyway, finally meeting Kili’s eyes with heartbreaking sincerity in his eyes. “Kili, I love you so much. It doesn’t matter if you don’t feel the same. I promise ask you for anything. You just deserved to know, and I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

The silence between them stretched on too long as Kili tried to process what he had just heard, not entirely sure he wasn’t dreaming. As Fili’s blue eyes turned impossibly sad, he realized how his silence was being taken.

“I love you too!” he blurted out quickly, causing Fili’s head to snap up to look at him. “You’re my One too! I mean, I didn’t know that’s what you were until you told me about Ones, but I knew I was in love with you for a while now,” he rambled on. “I never thought you’d—” He was cut off by a gentle finger over his lips.

“I do,” Fili told him, smile slowly spreading over his face. “I love you. Can I kiss you?”

Kili swallowed thickly and nodded.

The blond smiled, cupping Kili’s cheek and leaning in to brush his lips against the brunet’s. Kili’s breath stuttered before he moved forward daringly to press their mouths together more firmly. Fili groaned at that, free hand clutching at Kili’s waist desperately.

They broke apart with a gasp, Kili leaning his forehead against Fili’s, closing his eyes as he caught his breath and willed his heart to quit pounding so loudly.

“Stay with me?” Fili breathed quietly. He rubbing a thumb over Kili’s cheekbones, and Kili opened his eyes. “Always,” he added. “Move in with me.”

Kili snorted at that. “I think I kinda already have,” he replied cheekily.

“I mean don’t get your own place when the new semester starts,” he explained, knowing what Kili’s plans had been. “Stay with me. Please.”

He bit his lip, wanting more than anything to say yes but… “Will Legolas be okay with that?”

Fili smirked. “His girlfriend is here all the time. It’s only fair.”

Kili considered for a moment before smiling. “Okay.”

The blond grinned before pulling him into another kiss, which turned into a series of kisses that was only broken with Kili could not suppress a yawn.

“Come on,” Fili said with a smile, standing and pulling Kili towards the bedroom. “I think it’s time for bed.”

“I’m not taking your bed again tonight,” Kili told him stubbornly. Fili had insisted on taking the couch last night, stating that Kili deserved to have a good night’s sleep after sleeping on the street the night before.

Fili gave him a shy smile as he stood by the side of the bed. “I thought we’d share?”

Kili’s mind schismed a bit at the idea of sleeping with Fili, but he could not deny how the idea of sleeping in Fili’s arms thrilled him. “I’d like that,” he admitted with a blush.

They both changed into some of Fili’s sweatpants and brushed their teeth. Kili ended up crawling into the bed first, nervous even though he knew all they were going to was sleep.

His nerves disappeared, though, as Fili slid into bed with him and immediately pulled him close.

“Sleep well, âzyungâl,” Fili murmured into his ear, pressing a kiss to his temple as he spooned Kili from behind. “I love you.”

Kili smiled, happier than he ever thought he would be. It was hard to believe that just yesterday morning he was homeless and in despair.

“I love you too.”

End.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So this was supposed to have smut and it doesn't. Sorry. I just couldn't make it fit :/

**Author's Note:**

> Part Two should be up soon!


End file.
